Method of producing composite packages



United States Patent 3,271,500 METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPOSITE PACKAGES Thomas R. Santelli, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 245,196 3 Claims. (Cl. 264269) My invention is a novel method of producing a composite package; more specifically a package comprising a rigid exterior shell, such as for example, a glass tumbler or container, and a thermoplastic inner container firmly contacting and conforming to the contour of the shells interior surface. This inner container may well incorporate a closure cap accommodating neck portion that defines a filling and discharging opening or mouth.

An important object of my invention is the provision of a novel, easily utilized and effective method whereby polyethylene powder or some similar resinous material is deposited in a measured amount in a shell and thereafter caused to flow and create an inner container of the desired wall thickness within the shell.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel method, in the practice of which a measured amount of polyethylene powder or other suitable resinous material in granular form, is deposited in a shell, the latter then being heated and subjected to multi-directional movement, all with the result that the powder material is heated to a flowable or fiuent state and properly distributed over the shell interior.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a method of the above character which also causes deposition of some of the thermoplastic material in a neck mold or ring contiguous to the open end of the shell so as to create both a shoulder and closure cap receiving neck as an integral part of the inner container.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, the preferred embodiment of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of my application:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line XX of FIG. 3, such being the parting line of a two-piece shell holder and a neck mold;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the inner container fully formed;

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating one form of apparatus for practicing my package forming method.

In practicing my novel method a rigid or semi-rigid shell of any preferred contour and having an opening 11 at one end, is enclosed in a two-piece partible holder 12. This holder has an open upper end coaxial with and adjacent the opening 11 of the shell through which a measured amount of polyethylene powder may be deposited within the shell 10. This shell may be a glass tumbler of any preferred design, or perhaps a glass container or other like receptacle. The shell holder elements 12 may be releasably clamped together by suitable conventional means (not shown). At its upper end the holder may be provided with a sealing member 13 to fill the space between the upper rim of the shell and adjacent end of a neck mold 14 or ring.

This neck mold 14 is composed of partible sections having a parting line in the plane of the parting line of the shell holder 12. It is formed to cooperate with a core 15 or pin in providing a neck cavity 16 which, as will become apparent presently, determines the specific form and dimensions of the neck 17 of the final package.

3,271,500 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 The neck mold or ring cavity, as shown, is formed to produce an external cap retaining screw-thread on the neck 17. Other retaining means may be of course utilized, as is obvious. Here again conventional, well known devices (not shown) may be utilized to secure the neck mold closed and to the shell holder.

As will become evident, the shell holder 12 and neck mold 17 are rotated slowly around two axes simultaneously while being heated to bring the polyethylene powder 18 in the shell 10 to a flowable state. In FIG. 4, mechanism for causing such motion is shown as comprising a base 19 and a pair of shaft bearings 20 thereon. A tubular horizontal shaft 21 mounted in one of these bearings 20 supports a yoke 22 at its forward end, such yoke in turn supporting a rotatable shaft 23 axially disposed perpendicular to the tubular shaft. Upon one end of this rotatable shaft 23, the shell holder 12 is mounted with its axis aligned with the supporting shaft axis. A spur gear 24 at the inner end of the tubular shaft 21 is driven by means (not shown) to thereby slowly invert and reinvert the holder and shell therein. Concurrently the holder and shell rotate about their own common axis by reason of rotation of the shaft 23 on its axis. This rotation is produced by a driven shaft 25 extending through the tubular shaft 21 and a bevel gear 26 at the forward end of said driven shaft, meshing with a bevel gear 27 secured upon the holder carrying shaft 23. Thus the holder, neck mold and shell, with a predetermined quantity of resinous powder contained in the latter, are rotated multi-directionally to fill the neck mold cavity and to form a film over the interior of the shell when the powder has been heated to a flowable consistency.

Although other suitable, conventional apparatus can be utilized, I have shown an oven 28 heated by a heater 29 into which the holder, etc., are projected preparatory to forming the inner container 10. This oven may be any of numerous forms available in the open market.

In practice, I deposit a predetermined amount of polyethylene powder 18 in the shell 10 either prior to enclosing the shell in the holder 12, or if preferred], just prior to closing of the neck mold. With the parts assembled as shown in FIG. 1 they are placed in the oven and rotated as described above. The oven temperature is such as to heat the holder, neck mold and shell to about 350 F., such temperature in the shell being maintained for a period of five (5) to six (6) minutes. During this period of time the polyethylene will have produced an inner nonadherent container 18a and neck 17 in the mold 14 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This time cycle of course may well vary with the different materials used and the wall thickness desired. Following completion of the above forming phase the elements are removed from the oven and cooled by a cold-water bath or spray. Thereupon the finished package is removed from the mold and holder and is ready for use.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be modified through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is not, therefore, the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of producing a composite package which consists in depositing a measured quantity of a powdered resinous material in a preformed shell having a mouth opening, closing the mouth opening with a neck forming mold, heating the shell and mold to the melting temperature of the resinous material and maintaining such temperature a predetermined period of time, imparting multidirectional movement to the shell and mold thereby distributing the resinous material as a permanent film over the shell interior surface and in part within and filling the neck forming mold, chilling the neck forming mold and shell to set the resinous material and separating the neck forming mold from the shell and film.

2. The method of producing a composite package which consists in depositing a measured quantity of a powdered resinous material in a preformed shell having a mouth opening, closing the mouth opening with a neck forming mold, enclosing the shell in a partible holder, heating the mold, holder and shell to cause the resinous material to fioW, imparting multi-directional movement to the mold, holder and shell to distribute the material in film-form over the shell interior and in part within and filling the neck mold thereby forming an inner neck carrying container, chilling the heated parts and removing the package from the mold and holder.

3. The method defined in claim 2, the mold and shell being heated to a temperature of about 350 F. and such temperature being maintained and movement of the mold and shell continued for a period to insure substantially uniform distribution of the polyethylene.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,106,828 2/1938 Chappell 264-270 2,808,967 10/1957 Miller 264311 2,836,319 5/1958 Pinsky et al 215-1.5 2,880,109 3/1959 Current et al. 117101 2,959,812 11/1960 Allen 264-267 X 2,961,716 11/1960 Luenberger 264-270 3,199,701 8/1965 Santelli 215-1.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 585,395 2/1947 Great Britain.

ROBERT F. WHITE, Primary Examiner.

ALEXANDER H. BRODMERKEL, Examiner.

I. R. DUNCAN, L. S. SQUIRES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A COMPOSITION PACKAGE WHICH CONSISTS IN DEPOSITING A MEASURED QUANTITY OF A POWDERED RESINOUS MATERIAL IN A PREFORMED SHELL HAVING A MOUTH OPENING, CLOSING THE MOUTH OPENING WITH A NECK FORMING MOLD, HEATING THE SHELL AND MOLD TO THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF THE RESINOUS MATERIAL AND MAINTAINING SUCH TEMPERATURE A PEDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME, IMPARTING MULTIDIRECTIONAL MOVEMENT TO THE SHELL AND MOLD THEREBY DISTRIBUTING THE RESINOUS MATERIAL AS A PERMANENT FILM OVER THE SHELL INTERIOR SURFACE AND IN PART WITHIN AND FILLING THE NECK FORMING MOLD, CHILLING THE NECK FORMING MOLD AND SHELL TO SET THE RESINOUS MATERIAL AND SEPARATING THE NECK FORMING MOLD FROM THE SHELL AND FILM. 